The federal agency charged with overseeing the U.S. Postal Service announced that it would not hear Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates' appeal of plans to close the historic downtown post office, meaning that the sale can proceed.

The five-page decision came as a shock to many in Berkeley who were hoping to save the nearly century-old Renaissance Revival building on Allston Way. The Postal Service announced last year that it plans to sell the building as part of a nationwide cost-cutting effort due to declining mail volume and soaring employee costs.

The commission originally told Bates it would hear his appeal and gave him a deadline of Sept. 3 to submit his arguments.

But then the commission issued a decision on Monday stating that it would not hear the appeal because the Postal Service has not yet decided what its future plans are. It could sell the building but lease it back from the new owner, or relocate to a retail space nearby. In short, the appeal was premature, according to the decision.

"They're a bunch of double-dealing sons of bitches," Bates said Monday. "This is the worst example of shoddy bureaucracy I've seen in 35 years in public office. It's totally confusing for everyone."

Commission Chairwoman Ruth Goldway did chastise the Postal Service for the way it has handled Berkeley's and other cities' post office closures.

"Decisions to relocate a post office can be wrenching on a community," she wrote. "The Postal Service should undertake a thorough and balanced review, particularly when the building is historic and part of the civic fabric of the community. ... The process the Postal Service is currently employing appears to cause needless confusion in the affected communities, and damages its relations with the customers it is trying so hard to retain."

The fight is not over, Bates said. City officials and residents are preparing two lawsuits against the Postal Service in hopes of stopping the sale. One of the suits is in conjunction with the Bronx, N.Y., which is also facing a historic post office closure.